Festivals and Events
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New Year Concerts
At the Shanghai Grand Theatre.
http://www.culture.sh.cn/english/venue_detail.a... -
Spring Festival (Chun Jie)
Otherwise known as the Chinese New Year … and Shanghai goes crazy. If you’re thinking of visiting at this time, one traveller advises: “Book your room well in advance, don’t expect to get much business done and sit tight until the chaos is over!”
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Longhua Temple Fair
A colourful event with stalls, folk art, jugglers and stilt walkers.
http://www.shanghaihighlights.com/shanghai-fest... -
Shanghai International Tea Culture Festival
Experts, producers and consumers spend a week discussing and sipping the best blends.
http://www.shanghaihighlights.com/shanghai-fest... -
Spring International Music Festival
Held at the magnificent Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre, this festival generates a lot of enthusiasm among music lovers.
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Dragon Boat Festival
Commemorating the death of a 3rd Century BC poet-statesman who drowned himself to protest against the corrupt government. Boat races at several venues.
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Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese Communist Party
A holiday, which also celebrates China’s resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong.
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International Ballet Competition
Last year’s attracted more than 100 competitors from 14 countries.
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Tourist Festival
A showcase of Chinese culture and history for visitors.
http://www.shanghai.city-tourist-information.co... -
Shanghai Arts Festival
A month-long festival with a varied international programme.
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Asian Music Festival
Features hundreds of musicians from dozens of Asian countries.
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Christmas in Shanghai
It’s not an official holiday, but many churches hold ceremonies, and shops and restaurants put up decorations.
Theatre, Cinema and Opera
Culture lovers can now find in Shanghai large-scale performances of acrobatics, musicals, opera, dance, theatre, and classical and contemporary music. New state-of-the-art theatres and auditoriums have attracted in recent years the likes of Yo-yo Ma, Luciano Pavarotti, Diana Krall, the Kirov Ballet, and touring companies of Les Misérables and Cats, among others. (Admittedly, large-scale pop and rock concerts are still few and far between, and when they do occur, are usually of a more benign Mando-pop or Canto-pop variety.) The Shanghai Grand Theatre is a first class international venue while the Shanghai Stadium and the Majestic Theatre also provide both Asian and Western performances. Shanghai's many large movie theatres screen both Chinese and Hollywood movies. Also, various organisations show foreign movies with English/Chinese subtitles.
Several of the city's venues showcase dance performances. Chinese acrobatic troupes are among the best in the world and recent travellers to Shanghai say this is a spectacle not to be missed. Shanghai Circus World, the Great World Entertainment Centre and Shanghai Centre Theatre all offer exciting shows.
Museums and Galleries
The Shanghai Museum, located at People's Square, claims the title of most popular museum in the city. Designed to look like an ancient Chinese vessel, the museum's modern exterior stands out as a showpiece and the museum's interiors are well worth investigating. The museum features superbly displayed, first-class exhibits of ancient Chinese artefacts and archaeological finds with Chinese and English explanations. www.shanghaimuseum.net. The scientifically inclined may enjoy the Natural History Museum, which features a curious assortment of dinosaur bones and pickled human remains. www.sstm.org.cn. On the other hand, those more inclined to the offbeat will find the somewhat unusual Exhibition for Chinese Ancient Sex Culture interesting. This rather liberal museum aims to educate visitors on the history of sex in China. At the Shanghai Art Museum is a collection ranging from modern oils and pop art to the Shanghai school of traditional Chinese art.
For Children
Shanghai has a lot to offer your children when they get tired of being dragged to another classical garden, one more Chinese meal or another shopping market. Between watching the kites fly in Century Park to checking out the Pandas at the Shanghai Zoo, you'll be able to entertain your kids for an afternoon or two, and probably be able to bribe them into coming with you to one more Buddhist temple. Here are some ideas:
- Aquaria 21. A large underwater aquarium.
- Jin Jiang Amusement Park. Roller coasters, carousels, log rides etc.
- Natural Wild Insect Kingdom. A zoo for creepy-crawlies.
- Ocean Aquarium. Asia’s largest, with a walk-through glass observation tunnel.
- Railway Museum. Small but fun for real train addicts.
- Science and Technology Museum. Interactive.
- Shanghai Zoo. Plus Ferris Wheel and other amusements.
